Borneo (Sabah, Mt. Kinabalu)

Mt. Kinabalu National Park In the third part of our Malaysia-expedition, we visited the Mount Kinabalu National Park in Sabah. The Mt. Kinabalu is situated in the northeastern corner of Borneo and with a height of more than 4100 metres it is the highest mountain in Southeast Asia.The Park Headquarters are at an altitude of 1500 m and represent the entrance to a remarkably rich mountainous rain-forest, which exhibits a very high diversity of different animal and plant species, e.g. the rare Rafflesia, the world´s largest flower, or the well known pitcher-plants (Nepenthes spp.).

Within the Park there are numerous, well-marked tracks, e.g. the Silau-Silau trail which proved to be the most prolific for searching phasmids at night, due to the dense and rich vegetation which fences the trail in most parts. Along Silau-Silau trail we found Asceles margaritatus Redtenbacher, 1908, Dinophasma kinabaluensis Bragg, 2001, Lonchodes harmani Bragg & Chan 1993, Hermagoras haematomus (Westwood, 1859), Acacus sarawacus (Westwood, 1859), Phenacephorus cornucervi Brunner v. Wattenwyl, 1907, Phenacephorus spinulosus (Hausleithner, 1991), Prosentoria longelaminata (Brunner v. Wattenwyl, 1907), Haaniella scabra (Redt. 1906), Dares verrucosus (Redt. 1906), Phobaeticus redtenbacheri (Dohrn, 1910), Carausius sanguineoligatus (Brunner v. Wattenwyl, 1907) as well as several unidentified species of Asceles, Necroscia and Nescicroa. One evenening we were very happy to find an adult male of Phyllium siccifolium (Linnaeus, 1758) which was attracted by the light in front of our lodge.

Poring Hot Springs:On two evenings we visited the Poring Hot Springs which are also part of the Mount Kinabalu National Park but are positioned at a much lower lever, approximately 480 metres. In this very damp and tropical biotope, we found many adults of Aretaon (Aretaon) asperrimus (Redtenbacher, 1906) and Haaniella echinata (Redtenbacher, 1906) as well as Diardia relicta Redtenbacher, 1908, Calvisia medora (Westwood, 1859) and a male of a very colourful, so far unidentified species of Necroscia.A strong lamp, which lighted up the white wall of a generators hut close to the Parks entrance attracted uncountable numbers of all kinds of insects. After some inspection we found numerous beautiful Orthoptera, amongst them a beautiful green female of a large praying-mantid (Mantodea), as well as a few specimens of the “Three-Horn-Beetle” Chalcosoma moellenkampi Kolbe, 1900 which is endemic to Borneo and different species of Trichogomphus (Scarabaeidae, Dynastinae).